What Happened In Libya?

(CBS News) The former head of a Special Forces “Site Security Team” in Libya tells CBS News that in spite of multiple pleas from himself and other U.S. security officials on the ground for “more, not less” security personnel, the State Department removed as many as 34 people from the country in the six months before a terrorist attack in Benghazi that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others.
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Speaking to CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson, Wood said when he found out that his own 16-member team and a six-member State Department elite force were being pulled from Tripoli in August – about a month before the assault in Benghazi – he felt, “like we were being asked to play the piano with two fingers. There was concern amongst the entire embassy staff.”
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“We felt we needed more, not less,” he tells Attkisson.

Asked what response their repeated pleas got from the State Department in Washington, Wood says they were simply told “to do with less. For what reasons, I don’t know.”

“We tried to illustrate… to show them how dangerous and how volatile and just unpredictable that whole environment was over there. So to decrease security in the face of that really is… it’s just unbelievable,” Wood tells CBS News.

“Anderson Cooper 360,” Cooper told Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) that “a source familiar with Ambassador Stevens’ thinking told us that in the months before his death he talked about being worried about the never-ending security threats that he was facing in Benghazi and specifically about the rise in Islamic extremism and growing al Qaeda presence.” The source, Cooper continued, “also mentioned [Stevens] being on an al Qaeda hit list.”

Cooper later revealed that the source was Ambassador Stevens’ journal.

It seems clear to me that Stevens, along with the head of Special Forces in Libya, knew that there was a threat and tried to get State Department to provide more security, and was ignored. The result was Ambassador Stevens’ greatest fear come true…his death.

There were 13 violent attacks and ominous incidents near the US consulate in Benghazi in the months before terrorists murdered the US ambassador to Libya on Sept. 11.

Militants even videotaped Ambassador Chris Stevens on his morning runs outside the wall — and threatened to kill him.

But if that wasn’t enough to clue in the State Department that trouble was at hand, the US mission in Libya also “made repeated requests for increased security in Benghazi,” according to congressional investigators — but was “denied these resources by officials in Washington.”

The State Department failed Ambassador Stevens, and the three other Americans who died that day. Then, to add insult to injury, they lied to the American people about the attack. In the wake of all the Presidential election frenzy, I don’t think we should forget this.

Are you SERIOUS, jason? This whole mess is about as political as you can get.
Ambassador Stevens was pretty much *begging* for backup from this administration, and they – in effect – left him to die by denying him the much needed protection he requested. I stated last week that anybody that believed this attack to be based on some silly movie that had been out for nearly 6 months already was naive. Lots of Dems disagreed with me…obviously I was right. This administration knowingly LIED to Americans – obviously because the election is so close. The people need to know what kind of scum they have in the WH.

What I find hard to believe, is that somebody would actually STILL vote for Obama after noting the blatant lies coming from this “human” (barely human if you ask me). This isn’t the first lie, and it won’t be the last that comes to light. I have a strong feeling that once he leaves the WH in a few months, there is going to be all SORTS of truths to come to the light.

With both houses and the presidency democrats voted again to extend the Bush era tax rates in 2010, and for four years in a row they have refused via their ownership of the senate to debate another budget and have spent at an annual deficit of well over $1 trillion ever since. For once in your life you ought to embrace reality.

Are you nuts or just drunk on Kool Aid? Once again Obama has caused the death of another Government Person-first was Agent Brian Terry, now Ambassador Stevens, yet Obama pointed the finger at the Anti-Islam Movie as the cause for the Benghazi attack and he gave Holder an “Executive Privilege” Pass for Agent Terry’s death due to Holder’s fast & furious Bullchip.

Barbara with all that information I’m sure you’ll tell us how much the state department was actually cut and where right? The record shows they reduced the security staff by 34 in August. A few weeks before the absolutely unexpected attacks on that obscure date.

umm Barbara look at what you wrote. “The house proposed…Obama increased” With Obama in office spending is over $1 trillion/year beyond the last budget that was passed in March 2009. Any cuts made to spending within the State Department’s overseas budget was done by those who run it. Probably to buy Chevy Volts.

Having lived with my family in the middle east for over 6 years – this lack of security is paramount to murder. Even in “safe” Countries Like Qatar, Oman, the UAE (which includes Dubai) the American schools, universities, companies, embassies, consulates, trade missions have much stronger security than Libya.

How come Obama said the attack was due to the Anti-Islam Movie? Nevermind, he never accepts blame for HIS actions or lack thereof. Vote him OUT. How many “notches” will ittake for folks to wake up and see that Obama is killing US Citizens-look at Brian Terry’s death because of Fast & Furious-now look at Stevens death even though Embassy officials asked for more security-Obama is an accomplice to murder IMO.

Actually, Susan Rice had it right the first time. She said, there was a protest going on, (just like the one in Egypt that had been broadcast widely), THEN, a group of armed melitia showed up and started the attack.
Republicans are simply trying to blur the line between the protesters and the attackers for political gain.

Its almost of if they think they can just make stuff up, and then try to pass it off as real. Especially since Romney jumped to conclusions and made comments before he knew all the facts as to what had happened.

9/11 was Tuesday, 9/16 was Sunday. Susan Rice spoke for the administration five days after the attacks and three days after they slammed Romney for “shooting and then aiming”. Either she lied of her own volition or the administration’s. Which works better for you? btw, they are standing with her so that ought to tell you who wanted the lie forwarded.

This thread is full of ridiculous posturing. Folks in the middle east do not like us. It is not something new. It did not suddenly come about when Obama was elected…it has been there for many years. One of the bones in the collective throat of islamo-fascists is the profit that is made on their resources by American corporations. They want a bigger share of that profit. Can you say $10 per gallon gasoline? Coming to a station near you soon.